Clamp down on wobbly chairs

A band clamp such as this one from Craftsman can apply pressure on several connections at once, giving you time to adjust the final shape before glue sets.

Sit on them, tilt them, rock them and even if they're well-built, the legs on chairs and sometimes tables, too, get the wobbles. The shakiness is helped along as wood dries and shrinks, glue becomes brittle, connecting spindles loosen and the chair seems on the verge of becoming a fold-up model.

There are several ways to make chair legs and rockers solid again. But all begin with the tedious process of disassembling loose joints, prepping the mating pieces and regluing them from scratch.

Prep work

To make a long-lasting repair, you have to take loose pieces apart and scrape off the old glue. Once the bond is broken, new glue won't adhere well, if at all, on shiny surfaces of leftover glue. Sanding will remove the residue. But too much sanding will make the joint too roomy. Instead, try scrubbing with hot water. A lot of furniture is assembled with glue that has a water-soluble polyvinyl acetate (PVA) base. A dose of hot water can make wood grain swell slightly, particularly on the unsealed end of a connecting spindle. But a slightly furry surface will hold glue better and make a tighter fit in the chair leg.

Wedging

If the spindle is very loose in the hole, consider a fox-tail wedge. Choose a V-shaped piece of hardwood that's smaller than the diameter of the spindle. Tap this wedge into the end of the spindle so it just sets in. As you clamp and tighten the connection (with some glue too), the wedge is gradually forced into the end grain of the spindle, widening it a bit to tighten the fit as the glue sets.

Gluing

Either white or yellow glue is fine on indoor wooden furniture. Both are easy to spread and stay workable for 5 to 10 minutes as you assemble and clamp the joint. And because they are water-soluble, you don't need a potentially dangerous solvent like lacquer thinner to clean up. The tricky part is clearing old glue from the hole in the chair leg. The best solution: a small, sharp blade such as a pen knife.

Set up for clamping

If a chair has more than one loose joint, it's likely to have settled into a slightly cockeyed position. Before you take apart the loose pieces, wrestle it back into shape on a flat surface and maintain the position as you glue and clamp. That can be tough working with a limited supply of clamps and fixing one joint at a time. It's easier with more tools, particularly a band clamp that can apply pressure on several connections at once. That type gives you a chance to adjust the final shape before the glue sets.

Clamping

Any bar clamp or quick clamp long enough to reach from leg to leg will compress the joints on a connecting spindle. (For prices, generally $25-30, and sizes, check hardware stores or the Web for manufactures such as Craftsman, Irwin, Jorgensen and Pony.)

Because even basic clamps will exert 300-plus pounds of pressure, look for models with flexible plastic pads on the ends. If you use metal-ended clamps, wrap them with rags at the contact points so they don't dig into the wood.

To handle more than one joint, the best bet is a belt clamp (typically about $30). Most have a nylon web belt worked through a ratchet with handles you squeeze to increase pressure.